-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Raise your hand if this has ever happened to you : You wake up bleary-eyed on a weekday morn , lazily scroll through your newsfeed or Twitter feed or Google reader or whatever medium you use to absorb small bits of inanity , and there it is -- an opinionated update on a season finale , new movie or hot book , filled with important plot points .

BAM ! You 've been struck by a spoiler .

Times have changed since 76.3 million Americans tuned in to the disappointing series finale of `` Seinfeld . '' As one , they turned their gazes to their television sets , letting out a slow exhale as the final credits rolled .

Nowadays , fewer and fewer people are catching programs at their air time . In 2012 , 36 % more people watched TV on their smartphones than in 2011 , according to a report from Nielsen . And Netflix , Hulu , DVR , and streaming services let us mold TV schedules into our own lives .

Which is all to say : You can not assume , just because you 've seen something , that everyone else has , you arrogant jerk . Your friends should n't have to creep around with their fingers in their ears screeching , `` Do n't tell me ; I have n't seen it yet ! '' If you simply must pontificate on a cultural reference point with surprises , twists or big reveals , bear the following in mind .

1 . Give us fair warning .

Simple : Just put `` SPOILER ALERT '' at the beginning of the write-up . Bonus points if you place the big plot-pivotal announcement after a jump -LRB- on a blog -RRB- or after a few hard enters on Facebook -LRB- so readers have to click `` see more '' to read the rest -RRB- .

2 . Remember : Hints are spoilers , too .

If people want clues as to how the tale will end , they will ask . Ninety-nine percent of the time , they 'll want to finish it unbiased , draw their own conclusions and then discuss . Hot tip : Saying anything to the effect of `` THERE IS A HUGE TWIST AT THE END , but I 'm not going to tell you what it is '' is indeed a spoiler , because the viewer/reader will now follow the entire tale expecting the unexpected .

Just keep your mouth shut until they 've finished , yes ?

3 . Favor exclusive discussions over blasted proclamations .

All 483 of your Facebook friends do not care what you thought of the moment in `` Girls '' when we learn Hannah is an illegal alien . -LRB- SPOILER ALERT : Hannah is not an illegal alien . -RRB- Guess what ! You can even use social media to bring to you those who are equally eager to discuss Don Draper 's untimely death . -LRB- SPOILER ALERT : Don Draper is n't dead . -RRB-

Simply make your chat status something like `` Must begin discussing the end of ` Brave ' posthaste . Who 's seen it ? '' and then squawk away without ruining anyone else 's experience .

4 . Give it the three-year test .

Has the Earth made three or more trips around the sun since the book/movie/show / play had its day ? Then all bets are off . Those who still have n't seen `` Wall-E '' by now are unlikely to get around to it .

5 . Forgive the spoiler .

OK , so your jerk friend just posted about the shocking moment in `` Madagascar 3 '' when we realize the whole trilogy is the fever dream of a koala who watched his friends get taxidermied . -LRB- SPOILER ALERT : Oh , please . -RRB- Take heart : Research from UC-San Diego reports that spoilers actually enhance enjoyment .

Scientists found that students had more fun reading narratives when they knew the plot twist ahead of time than when they just learned it at the end , likely because it helped them pick up subtle clues along the way . -LRB- That 's the reason everyone saw `` The Sixth Sense '' at least twice . -RRB-

In case you have n't seen it , Bruce Willis ' character ... is a ghost himself ! You 're welcome !

Hey , do n't blame us . That movie came out waaay more than three years ago .

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Do n't spoil TV or movie plot twists online for your friends

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Nowadays , fewer and fewer people are catching programs at their air time

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Give a `` SPOILER ALERT '' warning at the beginning of any write-ups

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Remember that hints are spoilers , too